A “Happy Place”
Today is my daughter Lucy’s sixth birthday.
After dinner our family took a “Cinderella” carriage ride through downtown Memphis. We went by the Cotton Exchange building, which, In my opinion, could be the most beautiful building in downtown Memphis. We passed the newly renovated limestone Post Office building, that’s now the the new U of M Law School. We clopped on through Confederate Park and then on to Court Square.
While in Court Square, we passed by one of the oldest buildings in Downtown Memphis—the completely funky, rough-hewn brick, terra cotta-roofed, Tennessee Club building (pictured)—now home to Burch, Porter & Johnson Law firm.
The Tennessee Club building holds a special place in my heart. The very first day of my first full-time job in Memphis, I was taken by a co-worker, Greg, to that building on a scouting trip for an identity development project for Burch, Porter and Johnson (BPJ). I had just been hired out-of-school as an art director at Archer Malmo, and that was my “intro to Memphis” project.
I learned a lot about Memphis through that project. And have already forgotten a lot that I Iearned. But I do remember about outdoorsman Lucius Burch, founding partner of BPJ, and his incredible contribution to the area’s nature conservation. The Lucius Burch State Natural Area is located in my favorite place in all of Memphis—my “happy place”—Shelby Farms.
I chose Illustrator Ken Jacobsen for that project, because of his character-filled style. And we created this distinct illustration of the Tennessee Club building for Burch Porter Johnson Law. Whenever I see the Tennessee Club building, I’m reminded me of optimistic, wide-eyed days gone by, and that makes me happy.
But most importantly—happy sixth birthday my dearest little girl, Lucy Fox. Being with you makes me happiest of all.
